Category Archives: Training

Boston Marathon Runner’s Passport arrived on Friday. I finished my longest training run. Highest mileage week is in the books. I’ll be hanging out in pigeon pose for the next three weeks. ⇓Selfie I sent Marta and Ellen.

This morning Ellen, Amelie, and I ran 22 miles through Venice, Brentwood, Palisades, and Santa Monica. 1000+ feet of climbing. Worth it for this view.

When we were powering up our last hill we ran into Marta. Thank you for entertaining us for the final 4 miles. I was definitely ready to call it a day by that point. My legs were tired going into this run after running two tough workouts this week and lots of easy mileage. Wednesday I ran my Yasso 800s. The plan was to run the 800s at about 3 minutes, but I did the workout on the treadmill and running at a 10.0 on the treadmill made me feel like I was going to fly off, so I stuck to more like a 9.8. I felt great throughout the workout, so didn’t really worry about running the repeats a little slower. I’d rather not end up missing Boston because I flew off a treadmill trying to hit 3 minute 800s.

Friday I ran on the treadmill again. This time I ran a ten tempo. I was really happy with this run. It felt hard, but not awful. I was able to pick up the pace in the last two miles.

I think it was the beet shot I took 30 minutes before the run.

In my school life, check out our cuties learning to tell time in the after-school program.

It was also Parent Conference week. Our parents are amazing. Check out Erica’s attendance sheet. 100%!

We always have a potluck on Parent Conference day. Gabby outdid herself. We’re the Unicorn and Fairy School.

And our Star Scholars for the week. I love love love our kiddos!

In not so Unicorn and Fairy news, we’ve been dealing with protests in response to our Prop 39 placement at Magnolia Elementary for next year. We’ve had three protests outside our school. Check out the coverage hereandhere. Oh the joy of founding a school. I understand the frustration, but I’m not trying to do anything controversial. I just want to build my little school and need temporary space until our facility is ready in Fall of 2018.

And in my fueling life, lately Brent and I have been loving Hello Fresh. I promise I’m not being told to tell you this, but I’m a huge fan. I love to cook. I used to think these services were fake cooking, but it’s cooking for the person who doesn’t want to deal with the meal prep research and shopping, which takes SO much time! This week Brent made Thai Rice Noodles, and I made Steak Arugula Salad and Pineapple Chicken Tacos. Shameless plug for $40 off if you want to try. Use this code.

43 days until the Boston Marathon. 28 days until the taper. March = Miles. Marathon training is all about trashing your legs followed by treating them like royalty before the race. This was a great week of training. I went into my long run with tired legs after lots of easy mileage and some purposeful speed. Being tired going into a 20+ mile run is the way you want to train for a full.

I’ve had two confidence boost runs lately. Last weekend I was getting all inspired from watching the Tokyo Marathon. Went out for a faster 4 miler after a failed tempo a few days prior.

And on Wednesday this run was quite the confidence boost. Love treadmill running for teaching a pace. Just punch the number in and go. Did this on Wednesday before Ash Wednesday Mass.

I haven’t been religious about following a specific training plan. I’ve used the BAA Plan as a guide, but have focused lots of easy milage with race pace practice. For me it’s important to practice and feel comfortable with a specific pace. Convincing your mind you’re ready for the challenge is half the battle, right?

At EQ3 we had a different kind of marathon… a reading marathon. We dressed up in workout gear and read for 26.2 uninterrupted minutes. Those headbands were well worth the investment. The kids were too darn cute! Hoping to build up their stamina to when we used to read for 2 hours with our fifth graders.

That same day I multi-tasked with a baby at my desk. One of our families got into a crash right outside of school. Thank goodness everyone was OK. Baby Elijah and I hung out in my office while Dad sorted everything out outside. And yes, the best overnight oats are those made in a nearly empty almond butter jar.

Yesterday Brent and I went to dinner in Hermosa Beach, so we took a little La La Land Tour.

Dinner was at Baran’s 2239. We had the Romanesco cauliflower, foie gras, sweet and spicy chicken, and king crab gnocchi. Los Angeles Magazine highlighted the restaurant as one of the Top 10 Best New Restaurants of 2016. A bit on the pricey side, but we were not disappointed.

The Tripelis still my #1 love in LA. And Brooke Williamson, the brains behind the restaurant just won Top Chef this past Thursday. I knew I had good taste 🙂 Cecilia, Alaina, and I stayed up past our bedtime to watch the finale.Now it’s time for a few miles up in Beverly Hills. Need to take advantage of hills and get ready for Heartbreak. Ahh! So excited for Boston!

Los Angeles is beautiful, even on a cloudy day. After yesterday’s wet 23 miler I was craving an easy no plan run. I took off from my apartment with my book and went exploring.

I’m about an hour from finishing How Bad Do You Want It? Mastering the Psychology of Mind over Muscle by Matt Fitzgerald. Emily recommended it last week on our long run. We all know the best athletic performances come from the mind, not the body, and Matt Fitzgerald helps us understand how we can improve our mental fitness. He defines mental fitness as “a collection of coping skills—behaviors, thoughts and emotions—that help athletes master the discomfort and stress of the athletic experience, mainly by increasing tolerance for perceived effort and by reducing the amount of effort that is perceived at any given intensity of exercise.” He does this by sharing engaging race stories from elite athletes. It’s a great read, and can help you with your mental toughness whether you’re a runner or not.

Here are my top 5 takeaways. I could list hundreds, but I’ll stick to 5 🙂

You’ll aid your performance if you prepare yourself to feel terrible during a race. The flow state, that amazing feeling when you’re working hard but it feels maintainable, is real and often occurs when you accept that the experience is going to be painful.

You’re better off training with a group and competing around a crowd. Thank you audience effect!

Time goals are the way to go. Apparently my chipping away at time vs. going for massive PRs works! You’ll feel more confident in your goal because you feel more certain and that translates to a higher level of effort.

If you obsess over a goal you risk choking. Stay in the moment and focus on the specific task at hand.

Your attitude in life is the attitude you bring to your race. The happiest runners who continued racing beyond their 30s are all joyful and positive people. Think Deena and Meb. No coincidence.

This week was a heavy training week. I’ll definitely think about this week’s 6:15 paced mile repeats and the 10 mile run with 5 at a 6:40 pace when I’m charging up Heartbreak Hill in April. Confidence in training brings confidence on race day.

Ellen gifted me a Green Chef box. So far we’ve made the Asian Rainbow Salad and the Patatas Bravas. I was worried they’d taste a little too healthy, but they were both filling and flavorful. Thanks Ellen!